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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fall — the season
  4. cap — a hat
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cap — a lid
  7. object — an aim
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. object — to protest
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. season — in sport
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fall — to drop
  16. object — a thing
  17. lean — thin
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. track — a song
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. track — a path

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com